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Business Ethics Bowl Competition

Fleming Ethics Bowl Competition helps students learn more about current business ethics.

The Fleming Institute for Business Ethics has been established through the generosity of Mr. Richard Fleming and his family foundation in 2009. The mission of this Institute is to promote a culture of ethical awareness and action in the business professions. The guiding vision of this Institute is to link corporate and educational communities in a collaborative effort to promote ethical behavior in the world of business. The work of this Institute is administered by the DeSales University Division of Business, in collaboration with the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture.

Students from the Greater Lehigh Valley institutions are invited to participate in a business case study competition by presenting their solutions to an ethical dilemma before a panel of business executives who serve as judges.

On March 30, 2017, eight teams from Cedar Crest, Lafayette and Muhlenberg colleges, Penn State Berks, Penn State Lehigh Valley and DeSales University participated in the Eighth Fleming Ethics Bowl Competition.

CASE STUDY - The year is 2019. Thousands of driverless taxis are close to hitting the streets of New York City. You’re the CEO of a rapidly growing online auto insurance company. You have the opportunity to submit a proposal to cover the new fleet. But is it worth the risk? Students had to decide whether to take a chance on the new and evolving technology. On one hand, they can gain a competitive advantage in a large and growing market. But while autonomous cars are expected to save lives in the long run, research indicates that the number of driving-related deaths will increase during the first few years of the program.

All eight teams presented their cases in the preliminary round. After lunch, the judges named four finalists. Then comes the twist. The final teams will be given a curve ball related to the case and have a limited amount of time to come up with a response.

Rob Vaughn, longtime anchor at 69 News in Allentown, delivered the keynote address during lunch. Vaughn joined WFMZ-TV in 1987 after years in radio. He has also narrated documentaries that aired on the History Channel and other networks, and his op-ed essays have appeared in a number of newspapers.

The 1st place team of the 2017 Ethics Bowl Competition was Lafayette College.

The 4th placed team in the annual Ethics Bowl competition was DeSales University (left to right - Hannah Popp, Francesca D’Annibale, Dr. Amy Scott (Advisor), Sean Palen and Tyle Davis).

The 2018 competition date will be March 27, 2018.

Criteria

Two to five students comprise an Ethics Bowl team. Team advisors are responsible for submitting the team applications by the specified deadline. There is no fee to participate.

Round One: Each team will present to a panel of judges followed by a Q&A from the panel. The judging panels are randomly shuffled for each team to minimize bias and group think. Finalist will be chosen to proceed to the final round.

Final Round: Finalists will be given a scenario related to the original case. The finalists will then present with a limited time to prepare a response, to the entire panel of judges, followed by a Q&A from the panel. At the conclusion of the presentations the judges will deliberate and placement of the finalists order will be announced.

Participating Judges

The following executives served as judges for the 2017 Fleming Ethics Bowl Competition:

Contact Information

2017 Ethics Bowl Competition to Focus on Driverless Cars

by
Janelle Hill | Mar 22, 2017

Winners of the 2016 Ethics Bowl from DeSales University, who placed 1st and 3rd in the annual competition. The students flank Robert Fleming, son of Richard Fleming, whose foundation started the Fleming Institute for Business Ethics.

The year is 2019. Thousands of driverless taxis are close to hitting the streets of New York City. You’re the CEO of a rapidly growing online auto insurance company. You have the opportunity to submit a proposal to cover the new fleet. But is it worth the risk?

That’s the question college students across the Lehigh Valley will have to answer during The Fleming Institute for Business Ethics competition at DeSales University. The annual ethics bowl presents a business-related ethical dilemma and requires students to respond with a detailed action plan. They will present those plans before a panel of business executives serving as judges.

Colleges and universities in the Lehigh Valley will participate in the event, which will be held on Thursday, March 30, 2017 from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. in the DeSales University Center. Students will have to decide whether to take a chance on the new and evolving technology. On one hand, they can gain a competitive advantage in a large and growing market. But while autonomous cars are expected to save lives in the long run, research indicates that the number of driving-related deaths will increase during the first few years of the program.

Martin Brett, associate professor of sport management and co-chair of the competition, calls it a win-win for both students and judges. “That dialogue between the judges who are in that business environment and the students who want to be in that environment is invaluable,” he says. “It’s an opportunity for the students to make some business contacts and for these judges also to identify someone that their organization might be interested in.”

All eight teams will present their cases in the preliminary round. After lunch, the judges will name four finalists. Then comes the twist. The final teams will be given a curve ball related to the case and have a limited amount of time to come up with a response.

Rob Vaughn, longtime anchor at 69 News in Allentown, will deliver the keynote address during lunch. Vaughn joined WFMZ-TV in 1987 after years in radio. He has also narrated documentaries that aired on the History Channel and other networks, and his op-ed essays have appeared in a number of newspapers.

Richard Fleming and his family foundation established The Fleming Institute for Business Ethics in 2009 with a goal to promote a culture of ethical awareness and action in business professions through the collaborative efforts of corporate and educational groups. The work of the institute is administered by the DeSales University Division of Business, in collaboration with the Salesian Center for Faith & Culture.

The ethics bowl is free and open to the public. For more information, contact Martin Brett at 610.282.1100, ext. 1832, or Martin.Brett@desales.edu.